


I'm not mad

by kemonomimilo



Category: Free!
Genre: Angst, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-23
Updated: 2013-09-29
Packaged: 2017-12-27 10:33:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/977728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kemonomimilo/pseuds/kemonomimilo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sure, Nagisa heard Rei complain and yell at him a lot, but he just laughed it off because seeing Rei-chan angry was cute.</p><p>But not this kind of angry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I'm sorry,

**Author's Note:**

> (slight spoiler warning, I guess?)
> 
> Set around episode 10 when they're sitting and Nagisa offers some ice cream. You'll see, you'll see.

"How can you say something like that when I'm **_ALREADY_** _INVOLVED?!_ "

Nagisa flinched at the loud yell that ringed in his ears. He was... Definitely not ready for this outburst. This... This was _not_ Rei-chan. He just wanted to comfort the other. What did he do that made him jump out of his seat? Was what he said that bad?

Stood still, Nagisa's eyes watered as purple eyes glanced away. _How can you..._

"I don't understand! There's no point to it at all! "Rei-chan, oh Rei-chan, Rei-chan"?! All I did was being dragged by you, thinking you'd leave me alone for once..."

_No. Please, **stop**._

"And even so, I can't even have a good night's sleep because of _you_! You're obnoxiously loud, and I can't lay down in bed without wondering how many unread texts I'll have when I look at my cellphone!"

_This is... Not Rei-chan..._

"I work so hard, exhaust myself, but what's the point?! I feel no accomplishment!! It's useless! _I HATE it!_ "

...

He...

_He **hates** it..._

"All I wanted was some peace and--" As soon as purple eyes darted back to the usually cheerful, bright pink ones, tears came into view. Nagisa - who was always laughing, and even kept a smile in more negative moments - was... _Crying?_ How come?

 _Maybe, just maybe... He... He went too far._ "...N-Nagisa...-kun..."

A childish pout formed on the other's lips. "Geez, I don't care anymore!"

"Wait, I didn't-- Wait, I said _wait_!!"

"Rei-chan, I **hate** you!"

He opened his mouth to say something else and try to apologise, but... Nothing came out as he froze, watching the other throwing his ice cream onto the ground and running off, weeping. _Ouch_. That hurt more than he thought. And he wondered... Did he deserve it, too? Because... Maybe he just hurt Nagisa like that, too, didn't he?

Soon, he realized it was his own fault-- Not anyone else's but his. It wasn't the so-called "Rin-chan"'s, or Nagisa's. This was his own fault. He messed up again, and he knew it.

"...Damn it," Rei muttered under his breath, plopping down on one of the chairs, holding his head and sighing in frustration. Now he felt like crying himself.

He didn't know what to say-- Or what to _do_ anymore.

 


	2. I love you...

The sound of the last train of the night was getting only closer and closer...

But Nagisa still hadn't come back.

He's probably just sulking in a corner, pouting, feeling sorry for himself. Not like Rei cared anyway.

...

.....

No, he _did_. That was the problem-- He definitely did. Why was he lying to himself? He'd... He'd never done it before, so why now? And what about the train that was slowly stopping, soon opening its doors? 

_Damn it Rei, what do **you** want?_

Rei kept focused on his own thoughts for a while before the train's doors closed. Well, it was too late to try and go back now. He might as well... Try to find Nagisa.

Rei took his cellphone out of his pocket, purple eyes staring at the screen. For a moment, he forgot Nagisa was even in his wallpaper...

 

It was from a swim practice after they came back from the deserted island-- Rei was rummaging through his bag, through the entire locker room, frustrated with the fact that both his cellphone, his swimsuit and his muchly needed glasses were gone-- Specially due to the fact that he was also only wearing a towel. He was about to rummage through his bag once more before he heard a cellphone camera's clicking, followed by a very familiar giggle. Both sounds came behind him, making him immediately turn around as a bad feeling made his stomach spin.

And there was Nagisa. Grinning proudly of his accomplished plan, pointing Rei's cellphone at himself with an exaggerated girly pose. _...With Rei's glasses. With Rei's swimsuit, which was CLEARLY a couple of sizes too big for him._

 

The corners of Rei's mouth tugged upwards as he tried to hold in a small, faint laugh, before coming back to reality, as if he had been thrown away into a whole another world. And of course, a whole another _gloomier_ world.

His own words that were yelled at Nagisa ringed in his ears. Even hearing them himself... It hurt, it really did. If it hurt for _him_ , just how exactly did Nagisa feel? That blonde small swimmer with an usual wide smile spreaded across his lips, the small swimmer that was crying just a few seconds ago? How... How hurt was he?

"The number you have dialed is currently not in service. Please leave a voicemail by pressing--" Rei hang up, determined to make Nagisa pick up. Just one more time...

"The number you have dialed--" 

" _Damn it!_ " It was impossible. The Penguin was just too stubborn, wasn't he? Either that, or... Or maybe... What if...

...

Rei threw a slight slap across his own cheeks to wake himself up, taking a deep breath. "Alright." Quickly tying his sneakers and soon texting his mother "I'm going to arrive later than usual. Please don't worry about dinner. My apologies.", he ran off, with no exact destination-- But he _needed_ to think of something. He had to apologise to Nagisa, or he'd be... _Worthless._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still not done! 1 more lil' drabble around tomorrow and I think I'll be done. Maybe, maybe. :p


	3. ...So it's okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't get to proofread so I'm really sorry about any mistakes! Please feel free to correct them!
> 
> Last chapter, I guess. Oops.

The sand was dirty, wet, sticky, everything-- But Nagisa still refused to move an inch, hugging his knees tightly as watery eyes that blurred his vision glances at the sea illuminated by that night's moonlight. The waves coming and going sometimes touched his feet, sending a few chills across his skin.

His throat felt dry as tears kept welling up in his eyes whenever he sobbed and tried wiping them away... To no avail. He didn't have to look at his cellphone vibrating and ringing in his pocket to know the butterfly swimmer was the one calling him... And even so, he refused to pick up.

How come he... Hated everything?

It meant that Rei hated him too, didn't it...?

But why? All he did was pull some pranks on him now and then, and tease him, but on the other side... He offered help when he could, and not only that, but also occasional hugs, and... And...

Was that it? Maybe... He just didn't like that kind of stuff, but still... _It was the only way Nagisa knew how to show affection_.

Before he could get even deeper into his depressing thoughts, the faint sound of footsteps that were probably being marked on the sand interrupted him. They were drawing closer, according to his ears, but... He didn't want to face Rei-chan. He _couldn't_ face Rei-chan.

In the corner of his eyes, he spotted the other sitting beside him without a word or without a glance-- Rei just sat there, letting a small sigh escape his lips, his purple eyes set on the ocean.

"...I'm sorry," Rei muttered under his breath. "That wasn't... The best way to speak my mind, Nagisa... -kun."

Yet, he didn't get an answer back, almost as if the other wasn't there. But he was indeed; he could bury his face against his knees as much as he wanted to, but it still wouldn't hide his presence.

"D-did you really mean it?"

Hearing the penguin's voice had never been so relieving. "Of course not."

"Then why did you say it?"

"Because I..." Rei sighed. How was he supposed to explain he was a huge fucking idiot and took out his frustration and stress on the other? "Because I'm lost. I can't remember why I joined the swim club anymore... What's the purpose? Even Haruka-senpai doesn't show any freedom anymore... Yet, why is everyone laughing? Who's "Rin-chan"?! I really don't understand!

And yet... I still can't bring myself to quit...!"

"Rei-chan..." Nagisa glanced at the seemingly beautiful swimmer, furrowing his brows. "I was supposed to take responsability for you too, Rei-chan..." A small, gloomy smile formed on his lips. "I'm not doing too much of a good job, right? Ehe..."

"Don't say something like that, Nagisa-kun! T-to... To be honest, it's embarrassing how I asked someone else to take my own responsabilities..." Rei adjusted his glasses and averted his gaze, looking flustered, a small blush creeping on his cheeks. "I can take responsability for myself! H-hey-- _Don't laugh at me!_ " Nagisa couldn't control his chuckles and giggles whenever he saw Rei's flustered face. It was something that made him tease the other so much. He was... Cute like that... _Ahh, Rei-chan..._

"Th-this is no laughing matter!" Even though Rei said so himself... An almost inaudible chuckle escaped his lips, turning into an awkward smile.

"H-haa-- Ahahahaha!! Rei-chan, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But whenever you're embarrassed, Rei-chan, it's... I-It's just...!! Pfft-- Ahahaha!"

"Heh..." the corners of Rei's lips twitched upwards before he let out a sigh of relief. "You've finally laughed."

The penguin nodded in response, calming his laughter down. "Yeah... Sorry I made you see all that, Rei-chan."

"No, don't. Don't mention it, please." He shook his head. "It's fine."

"Huh? But I already did! Now what?"

"...Nagisa-kun, please."

"Sorry, sorry~. B-but, uhh... Rei-chan, I hope you know... I didn't mean to say that earlier either."

"That?"

"Yeah! That I..." he had to take a deep breath before continuing. "Hate you..." He glanced over back at the sea before looking back into the other's eyes, his expression showing how guilty he felt. "I didn't mean it! At all!"

"It's okay, Nagisa-kun. I understand. Well, we're even, at least." Rei pushed up his glasses with a smirk. "Besides! I think that at this phase of an average male teenager going through puberty, the hormones play a very important part both in physical and psychological aspects. However, in my and other known researcher's theories--"

"Rei-channnnnn...... Pleaseee..."

"What is it?"

"You're making me fall asleep, you dork."

"What?! This is really important!"

"Can you leave it for later?" Nagisa crawled closer to Rei and looked into the butterfly's eyes seductively, knowing Rei would fall for it instantly. " _Please, Rei-chan..._ "

He couldn't control both his blush and his stuttering. "I-I... I... I suppose."

"Yay!" Feeling accomplished, Nagisa shifted closer to the other until their shoulders touched, and soon, their arms. Rei was fairly uncomfortable, but... Why was his heart beating so fast?

"Thank you, Rei-chan," Nagisa murmured. "For everything."

"Don't say that! I'm the one who should thank you...!"

"Then we're even." The penguin grabbed the butterfly's arms and without hesitation, he wrapped them around himself until he felt comfortable enough.

"What are you--"

"Shhh, it's fine, it's fine. Just do it."

"...I-I suppose... It's fine..." Rei furrowed his brows and took a deep, nervous breath before hesitantgly laying his chin on top of the blonde's head. His hair... It smelled so _good_.

"Are you... Thinking about visiting Rin-chan?" he was surprised-- Was Nagisa reading his mind?

"...Yes. I have to. I have no choice."

As if Nagisa just gave up-- Either that or he just didn't mind anymore-- he nodded and closed his eyes with a smile. "Okay. Just be careful, Rei-chan. And remember..."

"Yes?"

"...We still love you, Rei-chan."


End file.
